Sex-selection of cows has become more affordable for farmers and cattle-rearers in Uttar Pradesh. Now, they would have to pay a levy of only Rs 100 per conception as against the earlier charge of Rs 300. The state government feels the charge of Rs 300 per conception had been economically unattractive for the farmers and deterred them from participating in the project, which is officially called the "Sex Sorted Semen" scheme. It aims to increase the productivity of cows on one hand, while reducing the number of unproductive male cattle on the other.
In December 2018, the UP government had approved the “Sex Sorted Semen” scheme under which the chances of cows delivering a female calf are as high as 90-95 per cent. The scheme was primarily aimed at reducing the population of destitute cattle and unproductive stray bulls, which have proven to be a menace for farmers ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power in March 2017. The government has imposed a stringent version of cow protectionism in the state, from shutting down "illegal" slaughterhouses to strict implementation of the anti-cow slaughter law. This many, including the government and Opposition parties, feel exacerbated the problem of stray cattle, in particular bulls.
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Stray cattle not only devour crops and trample on them but in many instances, bulls have also attacked people in rural areas. Sometimes, they have proven fatal. The menace causes heavy financial losses to the farmers who have been compelled to stay vigil all night on machans and incur additional costs on building stronger fences or barricades around their fields.
On March 29, the state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cleared a proposal to reduce the levy charged to farmers for availing of the scheme. Earlier, cattle-rearers in seven districts in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region had to pay Rs 100 per conception, while in the remaining 68 districts in the state, they were levied thrice that amount, Rs 300. The practice of Annapratha, or letting loose unproductive cattle, has been a common practice in Bundelkhand. Some experts say it has now spread to other regions as well.
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The “Sex Sorted Semen” scheme was implemented across the state in 2019 after a successful experiment as a pilot project in three districts--Etawah, Lakhimpur Kheri and Barabanki. Indigenous breeds like Sahiwal, Gir, Haryanvi, Tharparkar and Gangatiri are part of the scheme.
Out of the 581 calves born in these three districts as per the pilot project in 2018, 522 were female (cows), according to the government. A hit rate of around 90 per cent.
However, due to the high levy charges and differential rates between Bundelkhand and the rest of the state, farmers and cattle herders did not seem inclined towards the scheme, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday. The scheme was not proving economically beneficial for farmers.
With this in mind, the government has now decreased the levy to encourage more farmers and cattle herders to take up the artificial insemination of cows, the government spokesperson further said. It was necessary to increase the acceptability of the utility of the “Sex Sorted Semen” scheme, the government spokesperson added.
In the coming year, the state government has set itself a target of carrying out 10 lakh artificial inseminations through Sex Sorted Semen. Through that, it would be possible to produce around 3 lakh cattle heads out of which 2.70 lakh or 90% would be female (cows), the government says.
